Preassembled door frame



Aug. 22, 1961 c. E. BARNES 2,996,766

PREASSEMBLED DOOR FRAME Filed Oct. 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \Ss 'v INVENTOR. Z 5 7 C'ZIFI'a/Y E. ERR/V55.

1961 c. E. BARNES 2,996,766

PREASSEMBLED DOOR FRAME Filed Oct. 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (Z/Fro Z. B/MA/ES.

United States Patent G 2,996,766 PREASSEMBLED DOOR FRAME Clifton E. Barnes, 4500 Marcy Lane, Apt. 58, Indianapolis, Ind.

Filed Oct. 17, 1957, Ser. No. 690,756 2 Claims. (CI. 20-11 This invention relates generally to preassembled door frames, and in particular to a door frame of this type which can be applied or installed without preparation of the subflooring for receiving the door frame.

In conventional preassembled door frames the sill structure is conventionally formed of wood which has a thickness requiring that the structure subflooring beneath the sill be cut away so that the upper surface of the sill may be flush with the finish flooring of the structure.

A principal feature of the present invention is accomplished by providing a door frame having a sill subassembly utilizing a metal sill cap or plate which may be installed so as to overlie the adjacent structure subflooring without requiring that the subflooring be cut away or otherwise prepared for receiving the sill. A properly proportioned shim is interposed between the sill cap and the structure subflooring to dispose the inner. margin of the sill flush with the structures finish flooring.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a door frame which may be installed without cutting away the structure subflooring in which a metal sill cap is formed so as to provide an overhang member which encloses the outer marginal edge of the structure subflooring.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a door frame utilizing a metal sill cap formed to provide oppositely extending ears adjacent each margin of the sill cap which provide both a means for assembling the cap to the side jambs and for anchoring the door frame to a concrete slab floor.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a door frame utilizing a metal sill cap formed to provide oppositely extending ears adjacent each margin of the sill cap which provide both a means for assembling the cap to the side jambs and for anchoring the door frame to a concrete slab floor.

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

'FIG. 1 represents a perspective View of an installed door frame embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 represents a side sectional view of the door frame shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 represents a side sectional view of a modified form of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the door frame embodying the present invention may be seen to include a head jamb 10, side jambs 11 and a door sill indicated generally at 12. The head and side jambs are bordered by the conventional casing members 13. As indicated in FIG. 1, when the door frame is installed in a brick veneer structure, the casing members are conventionally inset from the outer margins of the bricks 15.

As may be best seen in FIG. 2, the sill 12 is formed by a metal sill cap or plate 14 which overlies the subflooring 16 of the structure on which the door frame is installed. The sill cap is formed so as to provide a horizontally disposed portion 17 which is held flush with the structure finish flooring 18 by means of a shim member 19.

The inclined outer area of the sill cap terminates in a downwardly bent portion 21, an inwardly bent portion 22, and a downwardly bent margin 23. The portions just referred to serve to provide an overhang member 24 which encloses a portion of the outer face of the box plate 25 and the outer marginal edge 26 of the structure subfloor ends capped to prevent entry of vermin. Fastening means, such as screws 27, may be used to secure the portion 22' of the sill cap tightly against the wood encased by the overhang member and to secure the portion 23 to the plate 25. Fastening means such as screws 28 may be used to secure the inclined portion of the sill cap to the lower edge of the side jambs. With the door frame in place a conventional threshold member 29 may be installed so as to overlie both the inner marginal area of the sill cap and the adjacent area of the finish flooring and a concrete slab 30 may be positioned so as to abut the portions 22 and 23 of the sill cap.

In installing conventional door frames having wooden sill blocks, it is necessary to first cut away the structure' subflooring on a line even with the inner marginal edge of the sill so that the upper surface of the sill will be flush with the structures finish flooring. In theinstallation of the door frame herein described it will be evi dent that because of the use of the metal sill cap, the subflooring area 16 need not be cut away or otherwise prepared, the shim member 19 serving to position the horizontal surface 17 of the sill cap flush with the finish flooring. The provision of the metal sill cap thus makes possible an appreciable reduction in the time required for installing the door frame. It should be further noted that by forming the sill cap so as to provide a continuous metal overhang member, the sill is made weather resistant to a relatively high degree.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a modified form of the door frame previously described which is particularly adapted for installation in basementless type construction having a concrete slab floor rather than a wood floor.

The modified form 21a of the sill cap is slotted adjacent each of its ends to provide upwardly extending ears 32, and downwardly extending ears 33. The upwardly extending ears may be utilized to secure the sill cap to the side jambs 1 1 in assembling the door frame, with screws 34 serving the function of screws 28 of FIG. 2.

The downwardly extending ears of tabs 33 may extend into the concrete floor slab 36 to hold the door frame anchored in installed position. In installing the door frame upon the concrete slab, the frame is positioned on the slab just after it is laid and while the concrete is still soft, so that the downwardly extending ears may extend into the concrete and will be held therein as the concrete sets. Alternatively, when the frame is not installed as a preassembled frame, the metal sill cap alone may be set in the concrete slab and the side jambs secured to tabs 32 at the subsequent installation of the remainder of the frame.

In this modified form of the invention, the sill cap overhang portion is formed by reversely bending the marginal area 37 of the cap so that it embraces a ledge portion of the slab.

The arrangement of the anchoring ears on the metal sill cap thus permits the assembled door frame to be installed on floor slab construction without the necessity for setting up forms before the slab is poured which will shape the slab so as to accommodate a conventional wood-sill door frame. It will also be understood that tabs such as those indicated at 32 in FIG. 3 might also be used to secure the sill cap of FIG. 1 to the adjacent side jambs in place of the screws 28.

The invention claimed is:

1. A prefabricated entrance door frame for mounting Patented Aug. 22, 1961 in an opening in abuilding structure including a sub floor and a finish floor, parallel side jambs of a height inwardly at their inner edges equal substantially to the distance between the upper surface of said finish floor and the top of said opening and spaced apart a distance equal to the width of-the 'wallopening and connected at their upper ends with a head jamb; a sill assembly, said sill assembly comprising a relatively thin substantially fiat sheet metal plate straight and of uniform thickness from one end to the other rigidly secured at its ends to the lower edges of said jambs and equal to the distance between said jambs, the inner edge and top surface of said sill plate terminating in substantial alignment and substantially flush with the adjacent top edge of said finish floor, and the outer edge of said plate projecting beyond the outer vertical edges of said jambs through said opening and then bent downwardly and then inwardly, the extremity of said inwardly bent portion having a downwardly projecting margin disposed in substantially the same vertical plane with said building structure, and means for securing said margin to said building structure.

2. A prefabricated entrance door frame for mounting in an opening in a building structure including a sub floor and a finish floor, the outer edge of said finish floor terminating inwardly from the corresponding edge of said sub iloor,+a shim of substantially equal thickness with said finish floor disposed upon the sub floor between the edges of the finish and sub floors; comprising parallel side jambs of a height inwardly at their inner edges equal to the distance between the upper surface of said shim and the top of said opening spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the wall opening and connected at their upper ends with a head jamb, a sill assembly, said sill assembly comprising a relatively thin substantially fiat sheet metal plate straight and of uniform thickness from one end to the other rigidly secured at its ends to the lower edges of said jambs and equal to the distance between said jambs, the inner edge of said sill plate resting upon said shim and terminating in substantial alignment and flush with the adjacent top edge of said finish floor, and the outer edge of said sill plate projecting beyond the outer vertical edges of said jambs through said opening and then bent downwardly and then inwardly, the extremity of said inwardly bent portion having a downwardly projecting margin disposed in substantially the same vertical plane with said building structure, and means for securing said margin to said building structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,520,826 Knapp Dec. 30, 1924 2,696,028 Miller Dec. 7, 1954 2,788,551 Hildreth Apr. 16, 1957 2,875,481 Erkkila Mar. 3, 1959 2,898,642 Etling Aug. 11, 1959 

